A Formal Rival A Secret Crush
by Serenity772
Summary: Things seem to be just getting worse for Naruto. Kyuubi studies him carefully as he goes through his life. Maybe behind his cheerful outer shell is just a broken boy needing to be loved.
1. Chapter 1

He's walking down the streets of Konoha. Naruto… That's his name. His sensei, Iruka, had treated him to a piping bowl of Ramen. He looks just like any other boy his age, except for three whisker marks on both sides of his face. His blonde hair is spiky and always messy and his eyes hold deep sorrow and pain from being alone so long. However, it's only noticeable if you truly care enough to look. No one seems to, though. Even with his bright orange jumpsuit marking him out of the crowd, nobody seems to notice.

Currently, Naruto is on his way to his house on the outskirts of Konoha. It isn't very big, but only Naruto lives there, so it's a comfortable size. If you're wondering why he lives alone, it's because his mother died in childbirth and his father was killed by myself. I am Kyuubi, the fox-demon that attacked Konoha fourteen years ago. The fourth hokage, in order to save his village, sealed me inside of Naruto.

Naruto has only recently discovered that he is my vessel. For fourteen years, he didn't understand why people's eyes are so cold. Everyone in the village denies his existence. In fact, sometimes, Naruto even doubts he's alive. It's because he's a monster. At least that's what the villagers think. I'm the only monster.

I have stolen away his existence. I have stolen away his family. I have stolen all the love he should have received. This prison that I am trapped in, I have come to hate, but never the boy. Naruto… He has suffered so much because of me. Should I ever be released I vow to protect him from those who would break his heart.

He is not yet strong enough to talk to me, but I can feel Naruto's emotions. From them I must say I do not understand him. Though I am with him all the day long, I can not begin to fathom why he doesn't hate them. His existence they have denied, yet he fights to keep them alive. The boy does not hate any of them, not even that annoying pink girl. What is her name? Sakura…? Yes, that's it. He has to pretend to like her just so the village will not gain another reason to hate him. As a demon I can see no wrong in liking that boy. That silent brooding one that Naruto always fights with. Naruto loves that boy, but has to pretend he doesn't, just because he is afraid of the very people he is training to protect.

What is this feeling? Sadness…Great sadness… Who is causing my vessel pain! They shall burn from the heat of my fiery wrath! Oh… It is those villagers again… His house is gone. The boy is on his knees now. The sadness won't stop. His eyes are dripping, but no one shall notice. The heavens are starting to weep for his loss. Naruto's greatest possession was the house of his family. No more… This boy is one of great courage, though he is afraid he faces his fear. Now he has nowhere to run, should he lose his courage. I have caused so much trouble. The boy is weeping and all because of me… The villagers will pay one day, for I vow to always protect this boy and the family he fathers. It has not been long now… Already his tears are beginning to dry. Though he is stopping, the heavens cry harder. They know, just as I know, he is still sad, but no one is there to see it. His bottled emotions help him take out his enemies, but he never kills. Never… Such innocence in one so ravaged with pain…The boy has stood and we are running now. The training grounds… Of course his team is supposed to meet for training. Seems he is the first, but here comes the boy and the pink one. Clingy as ever… Naruto is boiling inside… His jealousy of the raven-haired boy is great. He shall have to endure. When his sensei Kakashi-hentai arrives, he will be asked to spar with his crush. Only at those times does his sadness and pain melt away… At those times Naruto truly shows himself.

"Dobe, pay attention"

"Shut it Sasuke-teme!"

"Leave Sasuke-kun alone, Naruto!"

"Aw… But, Sakura-Chan"

He is always getting the blame. That pink one hits him every time he insults the raven. Sasuke is that boy's name. He instigates Naruto constantly. Because of his need for attention, Naruto can not back down from any challenge, which gets him into trouble. Hopefully, his sensei will get here soon… I do not wish for Naruto to get angry with the pink one, or worse, sad because of his unrequited love for the raven… The heavens though they cry for him, do not seem to smile kindly upon Naruto… Here is the hentai now…

"YOU'RE LATE KAKSHI-SENSEI!!" Both the pink one and Naruto shout as the puff of smoke dissipates from their sensei's body.

"I'm sorry I was taking a ride with a dolphin on the sea of bliss."

"You mean Iruka-sensei…" I am the only one who heard Naruto mutter those words. He knows about their relationship, but like him they are forced to hide it. His ambition burns strong now as he thinks of the hentai's and the dolphin's relationship. As hokage, he can promote gay couples, but for now he must remain invisible.


	2. Chapter 2

Three days my kit has been without warmth, both on his body and in his heart. Naruto is sitting in a clearing he has found in the forest. He awoke with the sunrise and has been up since then. The tears have stopped, but no sound comes from the usually loud-mouthed boy. Inside he is broken, and his shell only serves to hold together the pieces. Naruto has stood and is dashing through the trees now. Training starts soon. Maybe that can take his mind off all the pain I've caused him...  
We've arrived at the training grounds. The raven is here, silent and brooding as ever. Something seems different though... His eyes seem worried, almost as if he's frightened or concerned about something. What could have the Uchiha so worked up? Naruto must have noticed the look as well because he's now in the raven's face.  
"What's wrong teme?"  
"I should be asking you that dobe."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Kakashi told me everything."  
"What are you...?"  
"SASUKE!"  
That pink girl has the worst timing. What did that pervert tell the raven? If it was something to hurt my kit...  
"Hi!"  
"You're late!"  
"Sakura you're excused from today's training."  
"What? Why Kakashi-sensei?"  
"I need to speak with Naruto and Sasuke in private."  
"Oh ok. Bye Sasuke-kun!"  
Such an annoying girl, I doubt she even realizes anything is wrong with Naruto. In fact, nobody seems to notice that Naruto's smiles have become more forced and his mood less enthusiastic. Actually only the dolphin, the raven, and the pervert even seem to care. Humans are so ignorant. All that matters to them is their own happiness.  
"I know what happened to your house Naruto."  
"Kakashi-sensei I..."  
"It's ok Naruto, but next time tell someone so the abuse doesn't go this far."  
I guess not all humans are ignorant. Maybe the pervert can help my kit. ...It seems weird to call him my kit, but I promised to protect him to the best of my abilities. With this trait of mothering, he has become like my kin and I shall call him what I would call my children. Now how is the pervert going to help...?  
"Do you know who burned your house Naruto?"  
"No."  
"Ok. Since we don't know who the culprits are, it isn't safe to get you your own house for now. Fortunately Sasuke has agreed to let you stay with him."  
The raven has agreed to let my kit stay with him. Maybe the concern before was from his decision... I hope Naruto doesn't do anything stupid. This shall be interesting...


	3. Chapter 3

"This is where you'll be sleeping."

Naruto is currently getting a tour of the raven's house. My kit hasn't said anything to the raven. His emotions are difficult to read right now… Everything is jumbled together almost like he doesn't know what to feel. There's love, frustration, depression, gratitude, joy… The poor boy is like a walking contradiction. Nothing makes sense and his mind can't keep up with his heart.

"Thank you Sasuke…for everything…" Finally my kit spoke. His voice sounds so lost and hopeless.

"Don't try to handle everything on your own Naruto, you can't handle it." Uh-oh…

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Exactly what I said, you know you can't take care of yourself, dobe."

"What the hell is the matter with you?! You offer me a place to stay, then you insult me, I'll never understand you."

"You're not supposed to."

"What…?"

"Goodnight, dobe."

"…Night, teme."

That Sasuke boy is a different sort of human. Most humans are understandable from some standpoint or another, but his guards are up too high to see what he's planning. Looking at the two of them, my kit and the raven seem almost like the same person, only backwards. One has lost and then loved, while the other has loved then lost. Which one is truly better? Does either of them lead to less or more pain? Is there a way to love again after losing everything? Maybe they can help each other. Tomorrow will bring more answers, as well as more questions, but for now my kit needs his sleep.

I have been awake for the past hour or so. My kit's dreams have been disturbing. It's all dark and he's standing alone. The air is constricting, and slowly everything starts to light up, but Naruto just closes his eyes. It's almost as if he doesn't want to be saved, doesn't want to be helped, and doesn't want to be loved… But then a voice, the raven's voice says his name. Naruto opens his eyes and begins to run. There is no real direction, but the sound of the voice guides him. When it fades, he slows. Once the sound of his name reaches his ears again, his feet move. Quickly he goes. Bypassing nothing, going through invisible walls, gliding past imagined obstacles, Naruto continues running. Tears start to flow as he realizes there's nowhere to go. But, ahead he sees a figure. Sasuke… He turns and smiles at Naruto; he tells him to follow him and turns away. Naruto follows at a distance, but before they get to their destination, Naruto wakes up.

"Stupid dream…"

Poor kit, I'm sure he's confused. He's walking down the halls of the Uchiha household. What's the noise? It's coming from that room over there, exactly where Naruto is headed.

"Sasuke?"

There's as loud bang as Naruto says the raven's name. What was he doing?

"Sasuke…?"

Naruto walks inside the room and… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I've never seen someone look so red in my entire life! The raven has an apron on and looks like he was trying to cook something. Naruto must have scared him because there is a pot on the ground and his face is brighter than an apple.

"Sasuke…Hahahaha! What were you doing?! You look so funny!"

"…." He mumbled something, but I didn't hear him. What'd he say, kit?

"What?"

"I… I was trying to cook breakfast for you…" The raven was trying to cook for Naruto? That's a shock, but then again maybe it's not.

"Why?"

"I figured you'd be hungry and well…"  
"Well, what?"

"…"

"…Thanks Sasuke." For a moment they smiled at each other. Both looked so happy in that moment. Unfortunately, Sasuke's food started to burn, so he turned away. Naruto's happiness is radiating through him now, but I doubt anyone will be able to see it. They both sat down and began to eat after the raven served them.

Once finished with the food, Naruto helped Sasuke with the dishes.

"Thanks for breakfast, Sasuke."

"Hn."  
"By the way, you looked very cute in that pink apron this morning." With that Naruto headed out the door toward the training ground, leaving a tomato colored Uchiha behind.


	4. Chapter 4

"Please Teme! Pretty please! I'll do anything!"

"If I say yes will you shut up until we get back home?"  
"Yes! Anything!"

"Fine."

"Thank you Sasu… Oh yeah… I'll be quiet."

Training got over not too long ago. Naruto got to spar with the raven again. He's always so happy with that boy, even when he loses… Unfortunately for the Uchiha, Naruto likes to eat ramen after training. My kit is very persistent. He has been begging the raven for the past half-hour to take him to Ichiraku's. Poor Sasuke's resolve has finally given out. I wonder if Naruto can truly go that long without speaking. There's Ichiraku's. I wonder if the raven is worried about his wallet.

Five bowls of ramen later, a slightly peeved raven and an energetic blonde step back onto the Konoha streets. Surprisingly, Naruto didn't talk the entire time they were eating. It was probably due to having all of that ramen shoved into his mouth. My kit's eating habits, put even me to shame.

The walk back towards the Uchiha mansion has been almost silent. My kit wasn't told he couldn't whistle or hum, so he decided it'd be ok with the raven if he did a mixture of the two. Of course, the raven seems fine with it, but then again, maybe he's planning the best way to keep Naruto's bottomless pit from eating away all of his money. Imagine that, my kit beats the raven simply because he eats at Ichiraku's everyday.

Even though Naruto hasn't said anything, I can feel my kit's gratitude. In time I hope he will be able to speak with me. A single conversation with my kit and maybe I could change his life around… This situation is turning out to be very amusing. I am imprisoned inside a mortal boy. Me, an immortal demon, cursed to live a half-life such as this, and yet… This boy, this vessel which is my prison, I do not hate. I have come to love him as one of my own kin. Given the chance I would gladly give my immortality for him. Never in all my thousands of years have I felt this way for any creature. Sifting through Naruto's emotions and memories I can see that he desires a mother. Seeing all of the other children with one has put a great sadness in his heart. Oh, if I could but show him that he has a mother. What am I saying? My kit would probably be killed if I became his mother. He has survived these years against torture and brutality, but even he with his great courage and fiery spirit could not stand against the village if they attacked him at once because of me. I doubt even the dolphin, the pervert, and the raven together could truly defend him if the time ever came… My poor kit, I wish I could encourage you to show your love to Sasuke. I wish I could convince Sasuke to love you as you do him. I wish I could save you from this wretched existence. So many wishes to be granted, yet no power to do so.

Even if I had the power I wonder; would you truly be happy if I changed events as they happened? Would the other Naruto be the same boy as he is now; caring, compassionate, friendly, and everything else that is hidden under the stone outer appearance. Would you still love Sasuke in the other world, or would it be that pink haired girl? In that other world would you still want to be hokage so that you and your senseis would be free to love whom you choose? So many questions about what would happen, if the past were changed… I could say that I will never know the answer, but I think I really do. It's no. Nothing would be the same. Everyone would be your friend because of the bright person you are. Sasuke wouldn't be able to get close to you because of your popularity and Iruka and Kakashi would be doomed to live a lie. Pain is all I have caused from the moment I had set paw in the village. But I may look to the future in hopes that what I have done will bring about some good. Maybe one day my kit will no longer see me, nor himself as a monster, maybe one day I can truly protect him and his love.


	5. Chapter 5

"Finally! I can speak again!" My kit threw his arms up and shouted. His enthusiasm always amazes me.

"Tch… I'm surprised you made it that long without speaking." The raven casually leaned against the door and folded his arms across his chest. Arrogant as always… I find it hard to believe my kit would like someone like him, but who am I to judge a human's love, especially my kit's. As a demon, I cannot know love as a human does; I can only know the protective instincts of a mother. That is all I need to feel. Well, that was all I needed before I was cast into my kit's body. Trying to decipher his emotions and experience them myself through him is something new. I cannot judge any human for what they feel. All of this feeling is a wonderful experience.

"Eh… You're doing it again?" Naruto walked towards the Uchiha. Stopping a foot away, he leaned in close toward the other boy's face. It seems being so close to my kit is bothering the raven. His usually pale skin is a bright shade of cherry pink. It is amazing how my kit doesn't notice how shy the Uchiha is. Actually, it's amazing how blind all humans are, but again they have more to go through than demons, such as myself, or maybe I only notice because I have the luxury of witnessing emotions through someone else. Or, maybe it's because I wish for my kit's happiness, that I notice such small things about the raven. From what I have seen in my kit's memories, this redness is called blushing and people do it when they are embarrassed or shy.

"Doing what, dobe?" The blush only gets darker as my kit leans even closer towards the raven. "You've got that smile on your face, you know, the one you do when your being you." My kit is very close to the raven now. Their breath is mingling together and it's sending tingles down my kit's spine. Could this be it? Is my kit finally going to admit his love for the raven? Naruto's excitement is overwhelming, but there is a feeling of guilt and fear as well. He is afraid of rejection. Please Uchiha, do not break his heart, he is so young and has experienced just as much as you have. Do not let your chance to find comfort in each other slip away.

The raven is leaning forward slowly now. As their faces get closer, their eyes close. This is it; my kit will finally get his happiness…

"Sasuke-kun!" That annoying girl has the worst timing! My kit jumped back as she knocked on the door. I can feel his heart racing as his thoughts go through what he was just about to do. The Uchiha looks dumbfounded, and his blush is darker than ever.

"I think you should talk to her." No kit, don't say that… He loves you too, can't you see that? Please kit, please don't give up, he's right in front of you, just ignore the pink haired girl and tell him how you feel.

"Yeah..." Stupid Uchiha, turn around and tell Naruto. Tell him the truth. The raven can't hear me… Why am I trying? I can't affect Naruto's actions. The Uchiha answers the door. Just as I thought, that pink one is here just to interrupt my kit's dreams. Oh… They have a mission… I guess I am a little too harsh on the girl. She's just too caught up in her infatuation with the raven to notice anything.

I should be more careful with my emotions. Naruto just felt some of my anger coming through. My poor kit, I am so sorry. I wish I could speak with you Naruto. Let you lay all your troubles on my shoulders and tell you how much the raven cares for you, how much I care for you. Maybe, with time, you will be strong enough to hear my voice. Maybe, with time, you'll learn you're not alone. Maybe, maybe that day could even be tomorrow, and my kit you will learn the reason why you were chosen to house such an inhospitable demon. Maybe…


End file.
